OSF Review: "Roe" a powerful and compassionate look at a controversial issue

Tuesday

May 3, 2016 at 12:01 AMMay 3, 2016 at 4:30 PM

By Bill Choybchoy@siskiyoudaily.com

“Roe” vividly brings to life a contentious part of history that still divides many Americans to this day. The world premiere of “Roe” at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival opened on Sunday, April 24, and is the eighth play in the OSF American Revolutions history series.What stands out about “Roe” is the way it handles in a even-handed manner, such a controversial, divisive issue, and is able to fairly present both sides of Roe v. Wade, the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973 that made abortion legal.This is not a stodgy, glacier paced play that makes you feel like you are in a dull high school history class. “Roe” crackles with energy and makes the historical events presented live and breathe on stage. It does not hurt that this production is strongly aided by an exceptional cast of actors.“Roe” is surprisingly funny at many points, and profoundly sad and heartbreaking at other times, and gives insight and understanding from a historical context in regards to Roe v. Wade.A huge amount of credit must be given to playwright Lisa Loomer and director Bill Rauch for this thought provoking piece of theatre. It takes talented artists to avoid the trap of being too melodramatic, preachy, or one sided with material like this. Being able to paint a compassionate and fair portrait of both sides is a very difficult feat to achieve, but Loomer and Rauch wildly succeed in this regard. The two main characters we follow are Sarah Weddington (Sarah Jane Agnew), the lawyer who successfully argues the pro choice side of Roe v. Wade, and Norma McCorvey (Sara Bruner), who in the 1980s was revealed as Jane Roe in the landmark Supreme Court case.When she was seeking the abortion, which led McCorvey to Weddington, she was 22 and already had given birth to two other children. Her first child was sent to live with her mother, while the second was put up for adoption. McCorvey had a tough upbringing where she never felt loved or appreciated. She is a hard living and crass woman who does not fit well with the more reserved Weddington to say the least, when they meet for the first time at a Texas pizza joint.“Roe” shows over the course of more than 40 years and countless costume changes, many cleverly done on stage, what happens to these two women, as they stand in the middle of the passionate and ongoing debate in regards to abortion in the United States.While the play is based on fact, what happens with McCorvery is so out of left field it may shock those who do not know what happened to her in real life. Going into ”Roe,” I knew what happened, but I understand that for some in the audience, what takes place will come as a surprising twist. Because of this, I will say very little about what occurs. Both women are not friends, to put it nicely, as McCorvey feels she was used by Weddington and forgotten about as a human being, and believes that Weddington only cares about Roe the case, as Weddington watches mainly from afar the radical changes McCorvey goes through over the years.One of the most memorable scenes in “Roe” is when the lawyers for both sides argue Roe vs. Wade in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, with the actors responding to actual recordings of the Chief Justices that brings history alive in a wildly creative manner.A lesser play could have easily made some of the characters as cardboard villains, but it never falls into that trap. A perfect example is in the character of Flip Benham, played to perfection by Jeffrey King. He is a leader in the anti-abortion group, Operation Rescue. One moment he comes off as angry, rude and unreasonable in his dogmatic approach.Later on, including in a beautifully written scene where two opposing characters have a poignant discussion while sharing a pizza, we begin to understand why he fights for what he believes is right.Catherine Castellanos is heartbreaking in a powerhouse performance as Connie Gonzalez, the longtime love and partner of McCorvey. Gonzalez is fiercely loyal and caring to McCorvey, and loves and accepts her for who she is, warts and all. This makes what eventually happens with their relationship that much more tragic and emotionally devastating.Agnew and Bruner are both superb. While Bruner has the more flashy role, Agnew does a masterful job of conveying the passion and intelligence of Agnew, who comes off as a cool and distant person at times. It is a tough role, and Agnew brings it wonderfully to life. Bruner is a whirling tornado of trouble as McCorvey. While we certainly may not like her at times, Bruner never lets you forget that this is a complex and deeply flawed human being that craves love and attention, which guides her in many of the choices she makes. It is a role which Bruner makes her own, as she gives one of the most memorable performances I have seen on stage.The entire cast is excellent, with not one false note hit by any of them, with all but Bruner and Agnew playing a number of parts throughout the production.Being able to see a play this intelligent and engrossing is a joy to behold.I am sure that “Roe” will bring about a lot of passionate and thoughtful discussions, which is what great theatre like this can achieve.“Roe” runs until Oct. 29 at the Angus Bowmer Theatre in Ashland, Ore. The play is being co-produced by the Arena Stage in Washington D.C., and the Berkeley Repertory Theatre.

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